Inked Petals
by Humanity's Finest
Summary: Eren's a proud ink shop owner who wants nothing more than for his business to be a success. He works alongside Mikasa, Armin, Jean, and Marco, all who help him in his quest. Then a flower shop moves in next door and things start to get interesting... (Tumblr writing prompt, with my OTP {Ereri} and with a punky heterochrmoia Eren mixed in. My first upload on here.)
1. Beginning of the End

Nimble fingers were laced tightly around a pencil, lightly moving the lead against paper in quick motions. Pierced lips curled in determination as Eren Jaeger sketched what he hoped would be the best tattoo design he had ever made yet. He had been at this all day, and crumpled balls of paper sprawled across his desk and on the floor from missed basket tosses to the trashcan were more than enough proof of that. He had drawn feathers, skulls, swords, and even a half-naked pinup doll with pouting red lips. But none of them seemed to be just right. As a proud owner of an ink shop, it was a responsibility of his to have some premade designs ready. Even if most of the time he had to make all of them for scratch because of the customer wanting something different. Nonetheless, he wanted to display just what his shop could do.

Pictures hung in the front window of various inked bodies; most of which were past customers and even a few of his employees. Almost all of them had some sort of tattoo. Eren worked alongside several friends, though some of them not as close as the others. There was Mikasa, who was tough but protective and kind. She chronically wore a red scarf that was given to her by Eren. She worked as a receptionist and took appointments, and worked on restoring old motorcycles in her spare time. Next, there was Armin. Extremely smart, a little on the innocent and naive side. His hair was long and blonde, and his facial features constantly got him confused for a girl. But, he rocked the whole androgynous thing pretty well as all things were considered. He took college AP courses when he wasn't helping mix up ink or sketching designs with Eren. Lastly, there was Marco and Jean. Jean was a complete and utter hothead who liked picking fights, but Marco kept him at bay. They were both roommates and did most of the actual tattooing, even though Marco had a severe fear of needles. Everyone worked together and (for the most part) in harmony, though with Jean and Eren occasionally lashing out and going for eachother's throats.

Eren breathed heavily through his nose, dropping the pencil on the desk. He leaned back in his chair with a sigh, raking his hand through his messy chocolate locks. This design wasn't his best at all. And it annoyed him to no end. Absentmindedly, he ran his tongue over the pierced part of his lip and reached up to lightly tweak the septum in his nose. Perhaps, he mused, he should be drawing this like it was for himself. But it wasn't like he needed more. He had full sleeves with skulls and shades, and even an anchor with a mermaid on his thigh. His obsession with the ocean had lead him to that. Eren heaved himself up from his desk, resisting the urge to crumple up yet another design but he restrained himself. He stretched, popped his back, and cracked his knuckles. He definitely needed a break. Walking out of the office type area in the back of the shop which he was currently in, he trailed down the hallway, partly glancing at his reflection in the mirror. There were at least a dozen in the halls, so people could run out and see their tattoos as soon as they were finished. A turquoise and honey eye stared back at him. He grinned cheekily, partly glad for the unique disorder. He ruffled his hair as he made his way to the front of the store.

Mikasa sat in her usual spot behind a clean desk with a laptop in front of her and a phone sandwiched between her shoulder and ear. She talked about what the shop had to offer, what times were open, and how experienced the tattoo artists were. She typed something quickly onto her laptop, glancing up momentarily with her solemn eyes at Eren in greeting. A small smile graced her pale pink lips before returning back to work. The young man waved slightly in response, walking past her towards the window. He adjusted the pictures there idly, deciding that more needed to be taken and soon. Mikasa's back and ankle tattoos were on display there, as well as Armin's henna design he had from his arms down to his fingertips. The designs for his lower half hadn't been planned yet. Marco's and Jean's matching puzzle piece wrist tattoos were there as well, and so was Jean's eyebrow and nose piercing. Eren's ink and metal were there too.

Something caught the young man's multi-colored eyes as he stared out the window. His mouth opened slightly in surprise. Armin, who just so happened to finish taking a few pictures of customers and their ink, came up behind the brunet. A questioning look was held in his blue hues. The blonde tilted his head slightly from side to side in curiosity, moving beside his friend just to see what exactly he was gaping over. Next to their happy little ink shop, the empty space beside them in the shopping center was being moved into. A short, stoic man with an undercut was busy kicking down the 'For Sale' sign, while balancing various potted plants in his arms. He pushed the door to his new space open with his hip, and disappeared from the duo's sights.

"Well I'll be damned," Eren said quietly after a moment. "I would've never guessed that a flower shop was moving in next to us." Armin nodded in agreement, and started to tape up the pictures that he was holding. "It's kind of unexpected... But at least we're not alone anymore, right?" The blonde smiled slightly.

"True, true." Eren scratched his head idly, still looking at the shop. Now that he had bothered to notice, a sign was already hanging up and it looked like the place was almost completely set up already. The shop name read 'Wallflowers and Other Socially Awkward Organisms'. It was odd, but unique. Eren had to give the guy credit for that. "Hey, think it would be a crime if I swung by there to say hi?" He asked Armin, momentarily tearing his gaze away from the flower shop. Armin was just finishing up taping the pictures. "It wouldn't be a bad idea… Maybe you guys could even collaborate! Flower tattoos!" The blonde grinned, stepping back to admire his work on putting up the photographs. Eren just snickered and rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure. I'm gonna go," And, with that, the brunet walked swiftly out of his tattoo parlor and across the sidewalk area that connected the two buildings.

The punk tattoo shop owner stuffed his hands into his jean pockets, suddenly regretting his decision to come over. His pace had slowed dramatically; from a confident strut to something slow and awkward. His eyes were carefully watching the man emerge from his own store and walk to a car, which had several more potted plants inside. He picked up a heavy looking one and teetered on his feet for a moment, dangerously swaying and almost losing his balance. At the sight of that, however, Eren sped up, now running to the man's side.

Just as he was about to topple over completely, the younger man stepped in, lifting the other side of the pot and keeping it level. The shorter man grumbled to himself momentarily, before glaring over the top of the plant at whoever it was who decided to come and rescue him. Some soil sloshed over the side from nearly falling down, but the plant was still safe. Eren felt like he got punched in the gut when their eyes met for a split second. Well, fuck if the guy wasn't absolutely gorgeous. Even so, he mustered up some courage despite the gay attack he was having and smiled politely. "Hey! Uh.. Welcome!" A light blush dusted his cheeks as he became somewhat bashful. The other male unashamedly stared at him with dull, silver eyes. Eren tried to keep his composure and not get flustered, but to no avail. "N-need some help?" He choked on his words somewhat, but nonetheless; he got the message out correctly.

"It appears you're already helping. Why bother asking?" The older made a 'tch' sound at the back of his throat, rolling his silver hues at the younger one. "Whatever, just help me get this damn thing inside." With that, Eren nodded in response, and helped the male carry the heavy plant inside the shop. Once it was set down on the counter, he turned to properly face the man. The flower shop owner dusted himself off idly; smoothing down his crisp white apron and black khakis. Without doing much thinking, Eren suddenly thrust his hand out for the other to take, stupidly huge grin on his lips. "I'm Eren, by the way!

The flower shop owner narrowed his eyes and knit his eyebrows at the sight of the man's filthy, dirty fingers. But, he still took them and gently shook his hand. "Levi," He said back, small smile lightly appearing on his features. He let go and wiped his palms on his apron.


	2. OCD

**Hey! Author's note! I know people hate seeing these. Believe me, I definitely do. But I just thought I'd mention a few things before we get started. First off, this is the longest damn fanfiction I've ever written. None of them have ever passed 500 words, and this damn thing is almost to 3k something now. I'm the proudest little idiot of the bunch. Secondly, Mikasa isn't the typical, over-protective type in this story. We're switchin' it up a bit, yo! She's gonna be a bro and pretty much cool with it all. Plus, There's gonna be side dishes of Annie and Armin, and Jean and Marco. ****Levi's gonna kinda sorta be a bottom please don't kill me. ****So just you wait! Updates will be random, and I'd like to say that the first chapter was written a week before uploading, and I just finished writing this one today. Lastly, I'm just going to mention that I have ****_absolutely no fucking idea _****how tattooing actually works. If someone could explain, it would be great. I took a few guesses here and there when writing and failed completely when I tried researching it. If someone could explain, that'd be oh-so-dandy and I'd love you forever.**

**Anyways, cuties, here's your story. Enjoy!**

"I don't _know_,"

The brunet sighed wistfully, stirring up the ink with his skilled hands. "There's just something _about_ him, y'know?" He put the bottle he had just made and stuck it to the needle gun, pressing the trigger a little just to see if the liquid properly came out.

"Yeah, sure." Jean snorted, rolling his golden eyes. Honestly, Jaeger could and _would _talk on for literal hours about this guy. He had since the day they managed to meet, and it continued still, 2 days later. "So." The multi-colored-haired one grinned cockily, lightly drumming his fingertips against the surface of the desk. "Do you have a boner for him? Because it seems like you do."

Eren made a choking noise, and looked up with a shocked expression at the other with wide eyes. His cheeks tinted a light pink, before he frowned fiercely and looked back down at the gun in his hands. "No!" He pushed a little too hard, and some of the ink splattered across his hands. "Now look at what you made me do, Horse-Face!" He glared up at Jean, who simply chuckled and folded his arms across his chest.

The brunet sighed, wiping his hands on his pants and setting the needle down. At least it was ready for use when their appointment finally came in. "Whatever. You can hardly talk about that. What with you and Freckles." Eren snorted, and stood up from where he was sitting. He stretched, and walked to the front of the shop where Mikasa was. Jean followed suit, fuming with his cheeks painted red.

"Marco and I are just friends!"

"Tell that to your couple tattoos."

"Shut up, Jaeger!"

Jean towered over Eren, who scowled angrily right back at the other. Mikasa merely heaved a sigh, and typed something onto her keyboard. Freckles—Marco—Whatever, stepped in eventually, and tugged Jean away from Eren. The brunet sneered, muttering something along the lines of 'fucking faggot', before backing away himself. He glanced at the two, the freckled man desperately trying to calm down the infuriated punk, but it didn't avail. "Marco," Eren finally started after a moment of watching the two interact. "Don't you ever get sick of him not manning up and saying how he feels?"

Jean's face turned red again—by rage or embarrassment that wasn't certain. But he looked as if he was ready to pummel the smaller into a bloody pulp that was wearing skinny jeans. Marco merely held onto Jean's arm, gave Eren a wary smile, and simply shrugged. 'He will eventually,' he mouthed when Jean wasn't paying attention. Eren grinned lopsidedly. The two obviously had chemistry, and if this wasn't enough to show for it, then he didn't know what would.

Thankfully they all had pulled their acts together when Eren's and Jean's customer who had made an appointment stepped in. Annie Leonhardt, and she frequented the shop. Whether it was just browsing designs or actually getting inked up, she managed to be there a lot. The door opened with a lighthearted jingle as the stoic blonde stepped in. She wrapped the leather jacket she wore a little closer to her body and managed a curt nod at the two. Marco let go of Jean, walked off to his separate tattooing place, and left Jean and Eren to their work. Sure, they fought. But Jean couldn't sketch on his own and Eren would be damned if that horse-faced idiot shamed his tattoo parlor. Jean put on his typical, assholey grin and winked at Annie. He was absolutely insufferable towards her, but somehow she withstood it and didn't kill him on the spot.

"Hey, babe." Annie merely rolled her eyes at the remark, but nonetheless hurried off with him to one of the tattooing rooms. Eren soon followed, and sat down to sketch out what she wanted. Surprisingly, she wanted a rose. One on her wrist, black thorns, and spots where it looked like it was cutting into her skin. Macabre, but beautiful. The heterochromia-ridden artist and horse-face set to work in harmony as Annie sat on the cushioned seat provided by the parlor. The brunet couldn't help but let his mind wander off to that flower shop owner…

Dust. Dirt. Spilled plant food. It was fucking _everywhere _and this definitely wouldn't fly for someone as OCD as Levi. Angrily, viciously, he tied the bandana around his head and grabbed a broom, sweeping violently and scrubbed at the floor. Ever since he had set up shop, he tried to keep it in as tip-top shape as possible. So, cleaning regularly was essential. One might begin to question why a clean freak would want to deal with all the soil and naturey stuff, and in all honesty the man didn't know himself. Flowers were aesthetically pleasing, they couldn't talk, and they didn't make messes. All perfect. Unlike human beings.

He stepped back for a moment to admire his work, as he gleefully noted that all the grime had been eradicated for now. He set the broom behind the cashier counter and stuffed the bandana into his back pocket. Absentmindedly, he arranged the cardboard displays that held various teabags, little cactuses, packets of seeds, and small pots with herbs in them that sat on the counter. Larger plants hung from the ceiling and walls, and a few of the larger ones as well as trees were sitting on the floor. It was a flawless, greenhouse-like space that he had spent forever saving up for. Finally, it had been oh-so-amazingly perfected.

Wiping his hands on his apron, he next went for the watering can. It was huge; and weighed about 5 million tons. At least to Levi. He was short, and struggled to carry the damn thing some days. He turned on the hose which conveniently was inside (there was tiled floors, so if anything spilled it would be a cinch to mop up) and filled up the device. He lugged it in his arms, and set to work making sure all of his precious greenery got the nutrition required for life.

Annie had gotten inked, looked at her tattoo in the mirror with a small smile, and paid by then. Now, she was simply talking to Armin by the front of the shop. He was holding a camera, and talking excitedly about some nerdy stuff that Eren could care less about. The brighter, happier blonde was practically bouncing on the balms of his feet; glasses awry, huge smile plastered on his cheeks, and a camera in his hands. He kept gesturing to it, and Annie seemed to nod at whatever he said. Finally, she held out her wrist, Armin snapped a photo, and he hurried off to go upload it to his laptop so he could print it. Annie simply brushed it off as her cheeks tinted pink. She stuffed his hands in her pockets, muttered a goodbye, and walked out of the happy little tattoo parlor. After she had gone, Eren checked his schedule. No further appointments today, but tomorrow would be hectic as fuck. Oh, well. There was a price t opay for freedom. He was about to practically skip out with a shit-eating grin on his face to go visit next noor, when Mikasa piped up when his was pushing on the door.

"Eren."

He cocked his head at her, smile dissipating. "Yeah?"

She herself smiled, lips turning up in an almost uncharacteristic way. "Have fun. Don't stay away for too long or I'll kick your ass."

Eren saluted, placing his hand over his heart, and backed out of the shop. Once he was home free, Eren broke into a jog towards Wallflowers.

Levi was busy helping out some hormonal, teenage boy pick out different roses and teas when the punk showed up. He gave the kid some options, then stepped away to greet the ambitious young man. "Levi~." Eren grinned, and said his name in an almost sing-songy tone. The older merely shook his head, sighed, and managed a small smile. Ever since this idiot had helped him out that day, he came over often just to see how he was doing. It was appreciated, because Levi didn't have any friends. Just plants. Plants, and a crazy college professor who _thought _she was his friend.

The kid eventually picked out the right bouquet, and Levi gave him change and his receipt at the register. The boy smiled, waved, and left with the roses in his fingers.

"He is _definitely _trying to get in some chick's pants," Eren commented as he watched Levi rearrange the flowers and plants the teenager had mixed up. Levi rolled his eyes. "You have absolutely no taste for romance."

"I'm just stating a fact," He said simply as Levi swept his finger across the counter to search for dust. None could be found. A grin of satisfaction made its way to his lips. This was all he ever wanted. "I mean, if I was trying to get in someone's panties I'd go for the whole flower and chocolate approach." Levi flushed a light pink, and avoided eye contact from then on out.


	3. Hoodielicious

**Sorry it took so slow to upload, but, hey, I did it! Go me! Pretty much all of this is how I view Levi, try not to get your panties in a twist if you disagree. Anyways, I'm having such a fun time writing about these cute babies in love. Enjoy, favorite, review, whatever. I love you all for bothering to read this garbage. Btw, I have really** **proofread any of this story.** **Once i'm done I'll go over it and maybe fix it.**

Busy days were always the hardest. They were a complete blur of panic, rushing customers to and from needles, and hearing the constant ring of appointments being made. It was good and all for business, but there was only so much Eren could take. And so, when the chaos was all over, he'd naturally find himself collapsed over his desk. His ass was still _technically _in his chair, but he was probably leaning forward and bit much, and his arms were splayed across the cool wood. Eren's cheek pressed against it as he let out a steady exhale, trying to calm his absolutely wrecked nerves. It was Friday—Thank God— and he always closed his shop on Saturday and Sunday. He just never got traffic during the weekend, which he could never understand.

Armin suddenly ran into his office, glasses awry as usual and hanging dangerously to the side. He was bouncing on the balms of his feet again, like some little kid. Eren blinked, barely showing recognition of the blonde. "Yeah?" He mumbled wearily, mismatched eyes showing exhaustion. Armin smiled gently, calming down the whole bubbly vibe he always had going on.

"Sorry, Eren," He started, and used his index and middle finger to slide his glasses back into their proper spot. He always looked like a nerd when he did that, and the sweater vests didn't help. But somehow the tats seemed to even it all out. "There's a guy who wandered in looking for you. I tried explaining that we're closed, but he wouldn't stop prying. It's the guy from next door, right?"

The brunet dramatically brightened at that, flinging himself up from the desk and hastily straightening himself out. Standing, he adjusted his V-neck and open hoodie, smoothing his hair down somewhat. Exhaustion be damned, he'd catch himself some time with Levi no matter what. "Yeah! I know him! Thanks, Armin!" He grinned from ear to ear, lightly pushing past Armin to exit the office, and ran down the hall. The blonde blinked, only a little surprised by his reaction. He shook his head and smiled, going to one of the other rooms to collect his things so he could go home.

Eren made it to the reception desk where Mikasa still sat, silently tapping her fingers across her keyboard in a determined fashion. She didn't even glance up at the punk. Levi wasn't standing too far off; adjacent to the desk he was standing somewhat by the door. His usual apron wasn't on him; instead he donned a hoodie that was way too freaking big for him. He was already short, but in it he was dwarfed dramatically. The sleeves hung over his hands completely, and he was practically swimming in it. Eren smiled at what it read, though. It was a favorite band of his, Bring Me the Horizon. He could hardly believe it, or the skinny jeans, _or _the motherfucking converse. Perhaps Levi wasn't _just _a flower-loving hippie. The brunet smiled cheekily, waving in order to catch the older's attention.

"Hey you," Levi scratched awkwardly at the back of his neck, having to push up his sleeve somewhat in order to do it. Two words came to mind for Eren right about now, which were _cute _and _adorable. _Eren crossed his arms over his chest, and beamed all the more when Levi actually had to look up to see him. He scowled somewhat in turn. "_Anyways, _you big oaf," Levi mimicked him and crossed his arms over his chest, staring up at the other with fire in his eyes.

"Want to get some coffee?" He asked awkwardly, glancing down to fidget somewhat in the too-fucking-big hoodie that made him look absolutely _ravishing. _Eren nodded vigorously, perhaps a little too up for it. "Definitely. I'll pay, you pick the place?"

"Sounds good to me."

And, with that, Levi grabbed Eren by one of his long-ass arms and started to drag him out of the shop. Eren glanced over his shoulder at Mikasa, who smirked and gave him a thumbs up, mouthing _'Get some!' _as they departed. Eren shook his head, smiled in turn, and let himself be pulled along by the smaller.

It didn't take much to discover why Levi acted like such an ass sometimes. He was grouchy, angry, and generally unpleasant on most days. But Eren could see right through it as if he was made of glass. Levi was just a stubborn little trash baby who didn't know how to deal with normal people or human interactions. Which, Eren didn't mind. They had all the time in the world for this. Levi could get adjusted in time, and maybe he'd tolerate Eren slightly better. He wasn't sure what to call what they had going on now, however. They had only known each other for a couple of days, but they hung out just like old buddies. But the way Levi acted.. Well. The smaller was a bit possessive, and held tightly onto Eren's arm half the time they were in public. He definitely didn't like sharing. Eren thought it was charming, however. And so, they just let it all happen. Neither of them minded what was happening, anyways. It felt completely and utterly right.

Eren's and Levi's fingers entwined together as they walked a few blocks to a small corner coffee shop, which the older had picked out. Eren simply nodded and followed his lead. They stepped in as the door made a light chiming noise, and they let go of each other so that they could file in one at a time.

They just ordered regular coffee; black, but Levi had his with at least a dozen sugar packets. If not more. They sat across from eachother in a little booth; not saying much, but feeling the hot liquid's steam on their cheeks and listening to the baristas faintly chat in the background. It was calming, nice, and just a generally wonderful atmosphere for a date. Wait, was that was this was? Eren couldn't be too sure, and he wasn't keen on asking Levi.

Eren cleared his throat, took a sip of coffee, and leaned forward slightly to catch Levi's attention; he was busy stirring in another sugar packet and pushing his sleeves either up or down every few minutes. The older glanced up at him, eyebrow raised.

"I see you're wearing one of my bands."

Levi scoffed, and rolled his hues at that. He already knew that, and it was one the main points of wearing it.

"No shit. I like 'em too, believe it or not."

Eren beamed, and Levi pinched the bridge of his nose in slight irritation. "That's awesome!"

"Yeah, yeah." Levi shrugged, wrapping his hands around his cup and taking a long sip, he made a contented face at the hot coffee going down. "So I've been thinkin'. You run a tattoo shop. Or piercing shop. Both. Whatever. Anyways,"

Eren perked up at that, genuinely peaking in interest.

"I've been meaning to get a lip piercing done. I was wondering if you could do it?"

The brunet looked slightly taken aback, but he grinned like a fool and nodded his head in reply. Although, he wasn't sure if he could handle being in that close proximity to the other's mouth for that long, or if he could actually go through sticking a needle though that precious pink skin.

"Where do you want it, and what time can you come in?"

Levi shook his head, chuckled, and used his thumb to gesture to the spot. It was on the right side of his mouth, which wouldn't get in the way too much. If it was in the middle, then they'd have a harder time kissing. Wait, what? Eren mentally facepalmed at that thought, cheeks heating up. He definitely shouldn't be thinking like this.

"I also kinda wanted a ring, if possible. But just one of those bead thingies would work too."

Eren was barely listening now, and was busy trying to not smack himself upside the head. God, he acted like such a teenager sometimes. But the thought of Levi's soft lips on his made his head spiral out of control.

"Yeah," He managed with a cracked voice and a weak smile. "I can do it."


	4. He Who Hates Sharp Things

**Sorry I went on such a long hiatus.. And didn't say anything. In my flawed logic, I thought as soon as I posted a hiatus message I would start writing immediately after. Which defeats the purpose. And so with that, I leave you with cotton ball fluff Ereri. Please forgive me.**

Levi wasn't a fan of needles. Now normally, this wouldn't be a huge deal. But the fact that he let that little detail slide _right fucking before _he was about to get a lip ring in, blew the whole thing out of proportion.

It was going just fine at the beginning. Swimmingly, even. Levi had come into the little shop looking sleep deprived and grumpy as usual, black-booted feet dragging and his navy turtleneck tugged up over his chin. Mikasa checked him in for his appointment and Eren _literally _skipped down the hall to go get him and escort him to one of the tattooing rooms. Levi played with the ends of his sleeves, only glancing up at Eren every now and then. He sat down on the edge of his 'patient' seat, feet barely touching the floor, so he swung his legs in a childlike manner. Eren plopped down on his stool doctor's-like chair and swirled around a few times, picking up example rings that Levi could choose from. Levi went with a silver, hook one on the right side of his mouth.

When he tried on the fake one the brunet had on hand, Eren almost passed out from blood rushing to his head. _Which _head was definitely up to debate. Levi experimentally wiggled it around with his tongue, staring at his reflection in a little hand held mirror. Yes, this would work. It contrasted with his pale skin perfectly and practically matched his eyes.

"Not bad…" Eren murmured, absently swiveling around again to distract himself. Levi grinned, modeling for a few more moments before taking it off. Sometime after that, was when disaster struck. Eren was busy sterilizing a needle, and a piercing, while Levi stared at the floor kicking his legs. When he finally glanced up, his eyes widened, and his face drained of color. "Oh _fuck _no. There's no way in fucking _hell _that's going through my skin!" Eren blinked, pausing, and looking at the ravenette oddly. "I thought you wanted this piercing..?"

"Well, yeah. But sharp things are fucking _scary." _ Levi crossed his arms over his chest and glared over at the wall. Eren sighed, looking mildly amused. "It won't hurt that badly… It won't last for long, and I'll promise to be gentle." His didn't choose his words all too carefully, however, and found himself blushing lightly. Way to go, Jaeger. Levi didn't seem to notice. "Fine."

And, with that, Eren resumed what he had been doing before, Levi sat back, and then the room was silent once more.

The brunet carefully placed the tip of the needle against the skin of Levi's lip, gradually increasing in pressure. As soon as it broke the skin, Levi yelped, and clung onto whatever he could grab. Which just so happened to be Eren's shirt.

"..Levi." Eren slowly said, looking down. Levi was busy panicking with his eyes wide and tears pricking at the edges of them. His nails dug into the material and he wasn't letting go any time soon. Eren shrugged to himself, taking the silence as permission to keep going. He hadn't asked him to stop it, so. He kept pressing, until eventually the needle went all the way through. By that time, Levi was holding on tighter, eyes red to try and keep from crying, and his breathing was shallow. He was handling it better than Eren had thought.

And so, the tattoo artist quickly removed the needle, replaced it with a piercing, and went off to go grab some painkillers for the little florist. Once Levi had drugged himself with Tylenol, he felt better. He looked too damn attractive with red, chapped lips like that, Eren thought for a moment, refusing to look directly at him. Levi had already paid in advance at the reception desk and so, they both had time to kill. Levi was Eren's last appointment of the day. The shorter awkwardly grabbed onto Eren's wrist, dragging him out of the shop. The taller didn't question it, but he was still wondering what was going through his head. They left with the door chiming, Mikasa silently waving and typing, and without much of a care.

"I wanna spend more time with you…" Levi mumbled, glancing up at Eren. Eren looked away, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck and trying not to choke on his own spit. The raven's lips were still red and downright _sultry, _and he couldn't think of anything besides pressing his own set against them. "Yeah?" He said after a moment, still avoiding returning Levi's look.

"Mhm. You're my only freind here, you know. I'm so glad I moved in next door…" Eren beamed from ear to ear, finally looking back at the other. "Me too. You're a nice guy to know, Levi. I couldn't imagine you and your flowers not being around this place."

Their walking had slowed, and so they casually stopped on the sidewalk, somewhat under a tree. Eren was practically hovering over Levi, and so he took this as an excellent opportunity. It was risky, and he might not ever talk to the florist again.. But it a chance he was willing to take. Perhaps he was being a bit too rash and moving too quickly, but he couldn't control the raging feelings inside of him.

**_"IREALLYLIKEYOULEVI." _**

He said it suddenly, quickly, without a breath or pause between his words. He scrunched his eyes shut in shame, leaned down, and pressed a soft kiss to Levi's cheek and backed away. He couldn't even look at him now.. What had he done?

Levi blinked in surprise. His lips were parted in shock, and on instinct he grabbed onto the taller man's sleeve. "You missed." He said plainly, tugging him down to his own height. Eren looked at him confusedly, lightly blushing. "..What?"

"You missed." Levi clarified, standing up on his tip-toes to press his now pierced lips against Eren's own, heart pounding and on the verge of passing out. The both awkwardly backed away after a moment, looking at each other. Love was etched into their eyes and they were both turning red from the tips of their ears to across their cheeks and nose. They continued walking after a few more moments, hands swinging and feeling lighter now that that was off of their chests.


End file.
